Classic Banana Bread

I’m sure the internet doesn’t need another basic banana bread recipe floating around, and does my blog really need THREE different recipes for it? I think so. First, there’s the healthier version which has whole wheat flour and yogurt. Then there’s the oh-so-chocolatey version. But sometimes, you just need to stick with the basics. Get back to the true essence of what banana bread should be.

Last time I mentioned to Mike that I was making banana bread, I got into a little trouble. He heard “banana bread” and thought of the classic version you see here. I said “banana bread” but was already thinking about adding cocoa powder and chunks of chocolate. Although he really liked that version, he was just a little disappointed that I didn’t keep it simple. That’s the way he likes most things – just the classic version, with no fancy additions or embellishment. Which is fine, but most of the time I can’t help myself and have to mix things up a little bit.

So this time, I stayed true to my word, and made a plain old simple banana bread. And it was nice, in the classic, comforting way banana bread should be. Moist, slightly sweet, and evocative of sitting at my red kitchen table after being picked up from Montessori school about 20 years ago. The only thing I changed was the pan that I baked it in, because I only have my trusty 8 1/4″ round pan, and the baking time, which I shortened to about 40 minutes (give or take a few).

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×5″ loaf pans (or a 9″ round pan – my 8 1/4″ pan almost overflowed).
Cream the butter and brown sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Gently stir the flour mixture into the butter and eggs, then add the bananas.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes (in a round pan) or about 60 minutes (in a loaf pan).
Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.